


Underneath the Pale Moonlight

by Jinkxedparty



Category: Queen (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - Witchcraft, F/F, Genderbending, Halloween Challenge, witch!AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-31
Updated: 2020-10-31
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:08:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,169
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27313840
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jinkxedparty/pseuds/Jinkxedparty
Summary: Dominique is the head of a coven that takes in Regina after she is banished from her extremely devout (re:cultish) Christian family.
Relationships: Dominique Beyrand/Roger Taylor
Comments: 4
Kudos: 9
Collections: The Clog Factory Halloween Exchange 🎃





	Underneath the Pale Moonlight

**Author's Note:**

  * For [emma_and_orlando](https://archiveofourown.org/users/emma_and_orlando/gifts).



> This is a gift for the lovely Emma_and_Orlando for Halloween!
> 
> Also, the basic magic system and lore are primarily based on Dungeons and Dragons.

The GreyBush forest was a cursed forest. Most people that lived in the area were convinced it was haunted by witches and demons, and to be banished there was a death sentence. 

There was a small house on the edge of the forest that belonged to the Taylor family. They were strict Christians, not allowing their two daughters, Claire and Regina, to leave the house without their father’s permission and forcing them to dress in long, plain dresses at all times. The girls were both homeschooled, only being taught stories from the Bible and how to be proper wives and mothers for when they were married off within the church. For Regina, the only thing that made her follow those rules and the lessons was the fear her father instilled in her since she was a child. He told her horrible stories of young girls who would go into the woods and never be seen again. She didn’t want to live as a housewife for the rest of her life, but she was too afraid to leave. 

But one night, Regina got curious. She saw a mysterious woman standing on the edge of the wood dressed in all black. She snuck out of the house in nothing but her nightgown and followed the woman. But by the time Regina made it to the woods, the woman was gone. She tried to shrug it off as all just a dream or her eyes were just playing tricks on her. But when she returned to the house, she knew it wasn’t a dream. 

Her father was standing in the doorway, furious anger evident on his face. Regina’s mother and sister stood behind him all dressed in their nightclothes. 

“What did I say Regina?” He glared at his eldest daughter. 

“Daddy I-“

“WHAT DID I SAY,” he barked. 

“D-don’t go into the woods.” Regina stammered out of fear. Her father grabbed her forcefully by the arm, knocking out the candle she had been holding. 

“No, Daddy please,” Regina begged, “Please don’t do this.”

“Don’t you dare beg.” Regina’s father looked down on her, dragging her back to the edge of the forest, Regina’s mother and sister were following. “You made the decision to turn your back on this family the moment you stepped foot out this door.” He spat at his eldest daughter in disgust.

Regina looked to her mother and sister standing behind him with pleading eyes. Her sister was visibly terrified of what was going on, but her mother held her back and looked at Regina like she was a monster. Regina’s father reached out and grabbed the sleeve of her dress before forcibly tearing the garment and exposing Regina’s pale skin to the cold night air. 

“Run.” He spat. 

“Daddy, I-”

“I SAID RUN YOU WHORE!” He boomed so strongly Regina could do nothing but scramble to her bare feet and take off running. 

Regina took off running right into the forbidden forest. The grey fog clouded her vision, but the adrenaline in her blood kept her running. She stumbled over branches, twigs, and even rocks. Every time she fell, Regina felt the ground beneath her scrape or bruise her exposed arms and legs. 

By the time she stopped running, Regina was completely and utterly lost. All around her was fog and unfamiliar trees. She could hear wolves howling all around her. Regina heard a twig snap behind her. She spun around and was immediately met with a pair of deep red eyes staring her down. She took a step back, but her foot got caught in a root that caught her off balance. She fell backward and immediately felt a sharp pain on the back of her head. She suddenly felt weak and even more terrified as the red eyes began to creep closer towards her. Her vision began going in and out as fear overtook her. 

The last thing Regina saw before losing consciousness was another pair of red eyes coming towards her and two shadowy figures standing in front of her.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Regina woke up with a pounding headache and sore muscles. Instead of the cold, hard ground that she had passed out on, she felt soft, plush pillows beneath her and a warm blanket covering her. She opened her eyes to find that instead of the cursed forest, she was in a bedroom gently lit by soft sunlight seeping through mint green embroidered curtains. There were plants of all shapes and sizes on different shelves and planters scattered throughout the room, giving the whole room a soft flowery aroma. 

Regina looked down at herself and saw she was no longer wearing the torn and dirty clothes that she had been wearing before but was somehow changed into a fresh, cream-colored nightgown. Her wounds were bandaged and wrapped up in fresh bandages. Before Regina got the chance to even sit up, she was met with a tall, curly-haired woman coming into the room with a tray of various fruits, bread, and a glass of water. 

“Oh you’re awake, that’s great news.” The woman smiled, placing the tray in her hands at the foot of Regina’s bed.

“Where am I?” Regina asked, attempting to climb out of the soft bed, much to the protest of her aching body. “Who are you? What happened to me?” 

The mystery woman rushed up to Regina and ushered her back into the bed. “Don’t get up just yet, your body is really weak right now. My name is Brianna and right now we’re in my room. You were nearly attacked in the GreyBrush Forest by a Dire Wolf.”

“A what?” Regina asked. 

“A Dire Wolf,” The woman, Brianna, repeated. “They tend to be incredibly territorial, and from what I could tell with your injuries you must have stumbled into their territory by accident. Luckily you weren’t perceived as a threat to them and we were able to get you here.” She placed a glass of water in Regina’s hand. “Here, drink this. You’re terribly dehydrated.”

Regina took a small sip of water, still trying to figure out where she was. She had never seen a room like this covered in plants and nature. Brianna seemed quite warm and welcoming to Regina, like how her mother used to be when she was little. 

“How are you feeling?” 

“My head still hurts.” Regina grumbled. 

Brianna reached around to touch the back of her head. Regina winced in pain at the slightest touch. 

“You’re still healing. Drink up and eat something. Then get some rest. We’ll be here to help you heal.” Brianna urged her back into bed and placed the tray in her lap. 

Regina followed Brianna’s instructions, drinking the rest of her water and nibbling on some bread. She was already getting sleepy and there was still a dull ache in the back of her head. She nibbled on a little bit more bread before placing the tray on the table next to her bed and pulling the warm covers back over her to let sleep take over. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next time Regina woke up, she was in the same room, but not with Brianna. There was a new woman by her bedside with skin the color of warm caramel, black painted lips, and hypnotic catlike eyes. There was a small calico cat weaving between her legs. 

“Good to see you’re finally awake darling.” The woman stood up from her chair, coming over to Regina’s bed to check on her. 

Regina was still groggy, but she pulled herself up to a sitting position. “Who are you?”

“My name is Melina, Melina Mercury.” The woman introduced herself.

“Regina.” She introduced herself. 

“It’s very nice to meet you Regina.” Melina reached a jeweled hand out to Regina. “I can show you where you are, and there is someone who is very interested to meet you. Follow me.”

Regina took her hand and climbed out of the bed on shaky legs. She was still in the nightgown she had worn when she ran away, but all the rips and tears had disappeared. Melina offered her some clothes to get changed into, which Regina accepted. They were a lot different than the plain long dresses she was forced to wear all her life. It was a black lace dress with a fitted short sleeved top and a black velvet skirt that flared out to her mid thigh. It felt different from anything Regina wore her whole life, but it felt  _ right.  _ Regina saw her reflection in the bedroom’s floor length mirror, she was beautiful. The dress fit her like a glove and the black fabric made her blue eyes shine like sapphires. Melina offered her shoes to wear, but Regina made the decision to remain barefoot. 

Regina followed Melina out of the bedroom and down a long hallway. The hall was decorated with various portraits of women that appeared to be from all different places in time. They were all dressed in black for some reason, but Regina couldn’t put her finger on it. At the end of the hallway was a door to the outside, Regina followed Melina through the door to a small, beautifully decorated garden. 

The garden itself was lined with a wall of rose bushes that tangled themselves in the fence along the garden’s perimeter. There was a small gathering of soft pillowy seats surrounding a small silver and gold accented table with a silver tea set spread out on top. There were small clusters of different bushes, herbs, flowers, every kind of plant anyone would want in a garden. Regina was taken back for a second with the beauty of all the plants in sight, and felt a wave of calm wash over her the moment she stepped outside. The sweet and spicy smell of burning incense filled her nostrils. 

She and Melina weren’t the only two witches in the garden. She saw that Brianna was attending to some woodland animals that had gathered around her, feeding them berries and seeds right out of her palm. There was another mysterious witch sitting in one of the chairs, but Regina couldn’t see her face. 

“Priestess,” Melina called out. 

The seated woman turned back towards Melina and Regina, and Regina felt her heart skip a beat. She was incredibly beautiful. Her jet black wavy hair brushed just below her shoulders with choppy bangs that perfectly framed her face. Her makeup was similar to Melina’s, but to Regina it appeared to be immaculate. The wings of her eyeliner were perfectly sharp and accentuated the cat-like shape of her eyes, which were a deep chocolate brown. Unlike Melina though, her lips were accentuated by rosy lip gloss. They looked so soft and inviting to Regina. 

She wore a black feminine suit that fit her frame perfectly and there was a black rose pinned to her right lapel. The top three buttons of her white blouse were undone, allowing Regina to catch a glimpse of her cleavage. Her exposed chest was decorated with three black and silver necklaces, each of them with their own pendant or charm; a cat, a heart, and a star. 

“Ah, Melina darling,” The woman stood up. Her voice could be described as nothing but hypnotizing. She had a strong french accent, but Regina could listen to her read every book in the world and never be tired of her voice. “Come, sit. I just made some tea.” 

The priestess gestured to two chairs similar to her own that sat across from her. Regina noticed a silver tea set on the small garden table in the center of the chairs, and accepted the cup that was placed in front of her. The moment the tea touched Regina’s lips, she felt her whole body warm up from her core all the way to her toes, and her muscles all relaxed. It wasn’t forced like she was drugged, it was the kind of relaxing she would feel after holding her breath or tensing her body for too long. 

“What is your name my dear?”

“R-Regina Taylor,” She could feel her nerves getting to her, but Regina didn’t know if it was out of fear or something else. “If I may ask, who are you?”

The mysterious woman relaxed back in her chair. “My name is Dominique Beyrand, I am the high priestess of this coven.”

That word set an alarm off in Regina’s mind. 

_ Coven _ .

She had heard of covens before. Her father had told her and her sister about the witchcraft and satanic covens who lived in the very same woods that she was banished to. Regina remembered the stories of how the evil witches would take kids who had wandered into the woods and how the kids would never be heard from again. A part of her wondered if her father had hoped if the same thing would happen to her. Were Brianna and Melina witches too? What did they want with her?

The high priestess saw the fear in Regina’s eyes. She took the young witch’s hand into her own and a wave of calm washed over Regina. “Do not be afraid my dear, you are safe here.”

“Y-you’re not going to hurt me?” Regina stammered, fear still in her eyes but now mixed with confusion. 

Dominique shook her head. “Of course not. Brianna here told me of your story and I promise that you will not be harmed when you are here.” 

“What did she tell you?” Regina asked, taking another small sip of her tea. 

“She told me you were hurt and lost in the forest.” Dom leaned forward. “You’ve been here for a few days recovering. We all thought it’d be best if you would stay here with us before going off on your own, if that is your wish. I will warn you though, the forest is still dangerous, even for a witch like yourself.” 

Regina’s stomach dropped. Did Dominique just say she’s a witch? There’s no way she can be a witch. It was impossible.

“I-I’m not a witch.” Regina corrected her. “There’s no way I can be a witch.”

Dominique looked deep into her eyes, “You have great potential for magic within you. I could sense it from the moment you were brought here.”

“How do you know that?” Regina asked. “Wouldn’t I know I was a witch if I was one?”

Dominique reached out a hand to Regina and uttered something under her breath. Regina felt the warmth in her body grow and sparks began shooting out of the fingertips of her free hand. Regina leaped up in shock, staring at her own hand. 

“What did you do to me?” Regina’s voice shook with fear. “W-what was that?”

“Your magic. Some witches do not realize it until it is revealed to them in times of danger or until they are around other witches.” Dominique answered. “All I did was allow it to reveal itself to you. And with your magic I will make you this offer, Regina Taylor.” She leaned forward closer to Regina and maintained eye contact with her. “If you are willing to learn how to harness your magic, I will grant you a place in this coven, if you will accept it. If you don’t I am still willing to help you. I can give you supplies that will help you pass through the forest until you can find somewhere to live.” 

Regina had one of two options, either she could stay here and learn more about the side of her she never knew she had, or face the woods by herself with whatever equipment she could take with her from them. The thought of the latter feared her more than the thought of staying with the witches. From her short experience with them, they were nothing like the witches that her father had warned her about. She knew what her best option would be.

“I’ll stay.” Regina took her seat between Dominique and Melina, who had sat silently with her cat and watched the conversation unfold. “If you will have me, I wish to stay here.”

Dominique’s hazel eyes lit up with excitement. “Brilliant.”

~~~~~~~~~~

For the next few days, Brianna and Melina offer to help Regina with discovering her newfound magic and accepting Dominique’s offer. During that time, Brianna and Melina took on the role of helping Regina with her magic, along with a conjuration witch named Johanna. Regina and Johanna grew close during this time, and Regina began hoping she would be a conjuration witch like her. 

It was still too new what kind of witch she would be just yet since she could barely handle any basic spells or incantations. Brianna was hoping for another Evocation witch, while Melina was hoping that Regina would find her home in the school of Illusions or Divination magic like her. But for Regina, what school of magic she would be was the last thing on her mind. 

Regina was thrown for a loop when Dominique told her she was a witch, but to be shown what she could do was a whole other story. Part of her was curious about what she could really do with her magic. But there was another part of her that was gnawing at her because she should hate herself for this. Regina was raised to believe that it was wrong for mortal women to have any form of power, especially power like this. Every time she would try something as simple as lighting a candle with her mind, her father’s voice rang out in her ear screaming how she was a monster. 

“You seem distracted,” Johanna pointed out during a session one day with her and Brianna. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” The blonde sighed. “I just have had a lot on my mind lately.” 

“If you want to talk about it, we’re here for you Reg.” Brianna chimed in. 

Regina took a deep breath and asked Brianna point blank. “Why did you save me?” 

Brianna was confused. “What do you mean?”

“In the woods,” She clarified. “Why did you save me from the wolf?”

“You were in danger.” Brianna answered, still confused. 

Regina sighed. “I know, but why did you step in to help? I don’t deserve it.”

Brianna hurt to see Regina think so little of herself. She knew that Regina deserved more than the hand she was dealt with and was excited that Dominique had offered the blonde a place in their small coven, away from the horrific brainwashing she had been raised on. She was taught all of her life that she was worthless just because she was born a girl when in reality she was anything but worthless. That’s when it all clicked for Brianna. 

“I think I found your block.” Brianna snapped her fingers once she made the connection. 

Regina cocked her head in confusion. “My block?” 

“You have a mental block preventing you from using magic.” The witch explained. “You don’t think you deserve your magic. And when you think you don’t deserve it, it senses that it’s not wanted and will not manifest itself.” 

“You’re talking about magic like it’s alive.” Regina rolled her eyes. There was no way magic was alive,

“It is.” Brianna nodded. “All magic is alive.” She cast a spell that allowed her to manifest a small pink flower in the palm of her hand. “You have to work with your magic, allow it to flow as an extension of your being. I suggest you talk to Mel about it, she’s really good with that kind of magic.” 

Brianna and Johanna agreed to let Regina go early from their session to go talk with Melina. Since she was a Divintion witch, she could use her magic to get in Regina’s head and help her overcome the fear that prevented herself from actually using her magic. Melina’s door was open, so she must have been expecting her. 

Regina, darling.” Melina greeted her. “What can I help you with?”

Regina sat down beside the witch and explained what Brianna just told her about her mental block and if there was anything she could do to help. She was convinced Melina would have to use her magic on her in order to help, but the witch just smiled and relaxed back in her seat. 

“Regina, what you are feeling is nothing out of the ordinary.” Melina reassured the new witch. “It’s quite common for young witches like yourself to have doubts, and with everything you’ve told us about your family, I’m not surprised at all that you’re having trouble accessing your magic. You have nothing to fear, your magic will come in time and we are here to help you heal.”

“I don’t know Mel,” Regina sighed. “I want this all to be real. I’m so scared that one day I am going to wake up and everything will be gone. I don’t know what I would do with myself. I really want to get over this block, I really do. But every time I try and use my magic, I hear my father telling me how much of a monster I am.”

“Regina, darling,” Melina took her hand, “I promise with all of my being you have been blessed with great magic. There are no accidents from the Goddesses when it comes to who receives their blessing. Do not doubt that you are meant to be great. You are not a monster, no matter what others tell you.” 

“What do I do then?” She asked, still not knowing what her next steps would be. “What if Domonique doesn’t let me into the coven? I still can’t cast anything.” Regina had only been with the girls for a week, but now she couldn’t bear the thought of leaving. And she knew her heart would break if she let down Dominique and could never see her again. 

Melina relaxed back in her chair, one of her cats taking a seat in the middle of her lap. “Wait until the full moon, that’s when we are most powerful. That should awaken your magic. Just be patient, it will happen. Dom won’t turn her back on you.” 

~~~~~~~~~

At the full moon, Regina was meant to be initiated into the coven. Brianna and Melina continued to stand by her side and teach her about magic. She had a breakthrough after their conversation with Melina about Dom and her magic so now she was able to perform simple spells and incantations. In order to discover what school of magic she had, Regina had to be initiated into a coven under the full moon. 

Regina had hoped her friends would be able to join her for this, but to her luck, this ceremony was meant to be only between the new witch and the coven’s priestess. It was meant to show the true nature of Regina’s magic and allow her to become a fully fledged witch. 

Regina was dressed in all white robes, while Dominique had changed from her all black suit to a black witch gown. Her waist was perfectly cinched in by a black corset that was over her gown and decorated with what looked like silvery spiderwebs. The two witches looked like they were floating on nothing with the length of their robes and gowns and every little detail was glimmering in the pale moonlight. 

Dominique led Regina through the moonlit forest to a small clearing. The clearing was fully lit under the moonlight. Dominique came earlier during the day to make all the preparations that she needed for tonight. A circle of unlit candles stood in the middle of the clearing with markings on each candle. Dominique led Regina to the center of the candles and they stood facing each other, Dominique taking Regina’s hands into her own. 

The candles magically lit up around the two witches, casting a soft warm glow on them. Dominique began muttering spells under her breath. A golden mist began to circle Regina, lifting her only a few inches off the ground. A similar silver light glowed from Dominique and began to float towards her. She felt something awaken inside her, which Regina could only assume was her magic. She tried to cast a simple spell Johanna taught her. Sparks shot out of her fingertips, just like when her and Dominique first met, and Regina lit up in excitement. At last, she had finally connected to her magic. 

“Welcome to the coven, my dear.” Dom smiled and caressed Regina’s cheek. The two witches floated closer together before sealing the night with a kiss. Dom’s lips were softer than Regina ever imagined. She felt the same warmth grow in her chest that she felt the first time her and Dominique met. Regina placed a hand on Dom’s waist and pulled her closer, deepening the kiss. When they both pulled away, both witches were left breathless. 

Excitement overtook Regina. It was real, her magic was real,  _ Dominique _ was real. This was her life now and she embraced it wholeheartedly. 


End file.
